Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-07-16
THE LABOR PARTY.

THE New York World has taken the
trouble to collect some important statistics
concerning the labor movement in cOnnec-
ton with national politics. II has sub
mitted To leading labor men in the various
States and Territories blanks containing
the following questions:
/. Do you and organized labor in your
section fay r independent political action
at the fall elections this year?
>. Would yUu hold National COnven-
ton for the purpose of thoroughly organic
ing your paTty2 II 50, before or after the
elections this year,
). Do you favor Labor nominee for the
Presidency in lS-s?
1 How can the main wings Of the new
mOyemeut-city workers and working
farmers consolidated for harmonious
cooperation?
>. From which Of the two old parties
will the strength OF the new movement be
derived in your section;
&. What do you think Of the Union La
Dor platform Us compared with the call for
a State Convention in New York, issued by
the United Labor party of this city?
7. What, in your judgment, are the great
ISSUES which demand new party?
The replies come from all over New York
City and State, the centre of the move
ment, and from twenty-five States and two
Territories besides. Fifty-nine Labor men
replied for themselves or for organized
labor in their vicinity that they were in
favor OF independent political action at
this falls State and local elections. There
were four negative replies, five were non
cOmmittal and four were from States in
which there are to be no elections this
fall The World then proceeds:
"The question rs 10 holding National
Convention this wear for the purpose of or
ganiLation brought out twenty-fOuT replies
in favor of holding such a convention before
the State and local elections, aud twenty
three in favor OF holding it after the
elections. Three replies were in favor of
not holding the convention until the States
were organized, and nine Union Labor
men replied that a National Convention
was held in Cincinnati on Feb. 22-that of
the Union Labor party, which is rather
Greenback in its tendencies aud is opposed
to the theories of Henry George.
Sixty, six replies were in fayor-mnst Of
them emphatlcally-of nominating Labor
candidate for the Presidency IN ISIS; three
were opposed 10 such = nomination and
four were uOn-cOmmittaL
From the various replies to the question
as to the party from which the new move
ment will draw the more largely il seems
that the Labor men expect to get about 20
per cent. IRON the Democratic ranks and
80 per cent from the Republican.
The replies to the sixth question depend
upon whether the person replying is q
United Labor party man OF belongs to the
Union Labor party. Some pretty severe
criticisms are made on both sides.
To the last and great question, rs to
what are the issues which demand new
party, what is to be its platform, etc, the
replies show that the new party can never
be q united or harmonious one. 1t is TO be
made Of two factions. One is the United
Labor Party" which grew out of the
HENRY GEORGE movement in New York
City last fall. Its nucleus was the Central
Labor Union. Il adopted the platform
upon which the campaign of HENRY
GEORGE for the Mayorality was conducted.
ItadyOcates GEORGES land theories, which,
If they are not q part and parcel of Social
ism, are dangerously near that enemy of
American institutions, and certainly the
Socialists regard GEORGE as a friend.
The other is the Union Labor Party"
which is the result of convention of many
conflicting elements at Cincinnati on Feb
ruary -. These elements comprise Knights
of Labor, Trades Unionists, Greenbackers,
Anti-MOnopolists, Changers, Wheelers,
Corn Planters, old soldiers, etc. The con-
ventiOn adopted a platform in which the
GEORGE system Of land taxation found no
place, and it is chiefly on that that the diff
ference exists between the Union and Uni
ted Labor Parties.
These two elements which it is proposed
to combine in National party are really
antaeonistie. How they are going to pull